6 mobile marketing trends to leverage in 2014

What will be the best ways to reach mobile shoppers in the new year? Mobile marketing experts reveal which new mobile marketing apps and strategies can help you reach customers on the go.

In 2013, we saw a continued uptick in the number of consumers using mobile devices — smart phones and tablets — to research and compare products and score deals, often right in the store. And many analysts and experts predict that 2014 will be an even bigger year for mobile, with people not only researching and comparing products on their mobile devices but purchasing them from their smart phones and tablets, too.

So what will be the big mobile marketing trends of 2014? CIO.com asked dozens of mobile marketing experts and business executives to find out. Following are the six trends they say will dominate mobile marketing in the new year (many of which were around in 2013 but will continue to take hold in 2014).

1. Increased Personalization and Customization of Messages "This is a trend we saw in 2013 and will continue through next year," says Steve Cole, CMO, Gladson, a provider of product images, product content and related services for the U.S. consumer packaged goods industry. "Mobile commerce hasn't fully caught on with consumers, but we do know they're heavily researching products via mobile," he says.

"To convert searchers into buyers both on mobile and in store, marketers must present personalized offers," Cole says. "For example, if a consumer searches for green bean casserole recipes on a grocer's mobile app, offer coupons for mushroom soup and green beans to give the consumer an extra nudge."

"With the recent introduction of Apple's iBeacon, the opportunities for mobile marketers to personalize and transform the shopping experience in 2014 will be endless," says Bob Kennedy, vice president of Strategic Services, Compuware Professional Services.

"A shopper will step into a department store and his shopping list will transform into an interactive map that guides him through the store to relevant items and personalized deals," Kennedy says. "Smart marketers will utilize the new tech to augment — and increase — sales."

2. Location-Based Marketing (Geo-Targeting) "Targeting consumers with relevant products to purchase while they are in the location will make mobile marketing more relevant and less intrusive, changing the way mobile marketing is executed," says Stacey Tozer, marketing director, MappedIn.

"As we move into 2014, real-time location based marketing will become a more important marketing strategy," agrees Atri Chatterjee, CMO, Act-On Software, a provider of cloud-based integrated marketing automation software.

"Geo-targeted promotions and notifications will be added to the marketing mix as companies begin to see the benefit of real-time marketing based on GPS location — and customer targeting based on physical location to stores, restaurants and events," Chatterjee says.